Hello,
I am desperately trying to solve a family mystery. My great great grandmother Santa Stefanuto from Gruaro, Province of Venice, bore 4 male children and 1 female child to a wealthy landowner named Eugenio Bonan (born 1851) whose parents forbid him to marry her. Family talk says she was banished from her devout christian parental home and she and her baby daughter died of starvation. How can I find a death record for her and her baby to verify this with limited information i.e., we don’t know birth dates, parents’ names, date of death, etc. I would greatly appreciate any guidance, thank you.

Hi Nuccia thank you for responding so promptly. I looked in FamilySearch.org and found this Santa Stefanuto. I had it translated:

'In the year 1894 on 24 March in the morning hours 10.45am in the Town Hall, I, the undersigned, Santini Avvocato Arturo Executive Secretary of the Mayor Act, 22 April 1892 duly approved, Officer Civil Status of the Municipality of Portogruaro having today received by the Secretary of the Office of Management of the Civic Hospital a written note on the death as described below and entered in the volume of attachments to this register, that at 11.00am of the current month in Via Saccomito No. 274 (address of hospital), the death of Santa Stefanuto, 39 years old, unmarried, farmer, born in and resident of Gruaro of Angelo and Teresa Cava (parents), farmers, both residents of Gruaro.'

My inkling is that this is her, but the problem is that Stefanuto is a very common name in Gruaro so how can I be sure this is definitely her? Also, why does this entry not state the cause of death? Thanks so much

Deaths acts do not state the cause of death unfortunately - they just confirm the death itself. Does it list the witnesses names? Could one of the witnesses be a child? The age looks right - 1855 so she could have started having children at about 1870 or so. Now you need to find if there is a child's death act in there that states the mother's name as Santa. It will also state either Santa's age when the child died or if she is deceased (re: figlia della fu Santa). Does that make sense?

Deaths acts do not state the cause of death unfortunately - they just confirm the death itself. Does it list the witnesses names? Could one of the witnesses be a relative? The age looks right - 1855 so she could have started having children at about 1870 or so. Now you need to find if there is a child's death act in there that states the mother's name as Santa. It will also state either Santa's age when the child died or if she is deceased (re: figlia della fu Santa). It should also give a similar address (perhaps) as where Santa resided/died if you're lucky. Does that make sense?

Hi Nuccia,
The death act does not mention any witnesses. In fact, it is all hand-written as opposed to a templated form which has been filled in. The first column says Num 1 Santa Stefanuto and the second column contains the details of the death. I have included the link if you would like to check it out.

If she died in Portogruaro hospital would there be a death act for her listed in that commune as well? I still have had no luck in locating a child's death act.

Yes, the death record is listed also in Portogruaro, with the wording that you have already translated: 'In the year 1894 on 24 March in the morning hours 10.45am in the Town Hall, I, the undersigned, Santini Avvocato Arturo Executive Secretary of the Mayor Act, 22 April 1892 duly approved, Officer Civil Status of the Municipality of Portogruaro having today received by the Secretary of the Office of Management of the Civic Hospital a written note on the death as described below and entered in the volume of attachments to this register, that at 12.00am of the day 23 of the current month in Via Saccomito No. 274 (address of hospital), the death of Santa Stefanuto, 39 years old, unmarried, farmer, born in and resident of Gruaro of Angelo and Teresa Cava (parents), farmers, both residents of Gruaro.'

Thanks Livio for your confirmation. I looked in the Portogruaro records and there it was just as you said. Another question - how do I go about finding the cause of her death? Where would this information be?

Thanks Livio for your confirmation. I looked in the Portogruaro records and there it was just as you said. Another question - how do I go about finding the cause of her death? Where would this information be?

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